And leading the tributes was his wife Sara - his love of 12 years and mum to the children he doted on, William two and one-year-old twins Lucy and Kate.

She told mourners: “I knew from the moment I laid eyes on Richard we were meant to be together.”

Calling him a “passionate man, always caring and striving for the best,” she added: “He became the best daddy anyone could wish for.”

Richard Burford

She added: “Richard lives on through his children and he made me the woman I am today. He gave me strength, hope and love to carry on for the future.”

Richard’s father John said he was confident his children “will grow up to be just as loving and supportive as he was.”

And Richard’s brother Phil spoke of the “loveable rogue” who was often getting into scrapes as they grew up, but was loved by so many - a “people magnet.”

He also told how Richard’s family became his main focus - “who knew he was going to be such a doting father? But that’s Richard, always full of surprises.”

Richard Burford with wife Sara, son William and twins Lucy & Kate

Dance music played a major part in Richard’s life and an eclectic collection was played at the funeral, including Can’t Do Without You by Caribou, We Love Machine by Way Out West and the “music for reflection” chosen by Sara, La Lune by Madeon.

Celebrant Kevin Leavesley also read tributes from Mr Burford’s workmates at American software company Acquia, saying Richard’s “easy, outgoing nature made an impression wherever he went” and who was “unrelenting and outspoken for the causes he cared about.”

Mr Leavesley also said the response to a Justgiving page set up to help Richard’s widow and children showed his popularity, with more than £27,000 pledged so far.